This application claims the priority of German patent application No. 197 21 753.2, filed May 24, 1998, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The invention relates to a wheel suspension for motor vehicles.
A wheel suspension is known from German Patent Document DE 4203057 A1. This wheel suspension is a trailing link arrangement or semi-trailing link arrangement in which a spring strut is arranged to be situated almost in parallel horizontally to the link and, on one end, is supported on the link in the area of its end, which is linked to the vehicle body side, on a projection of this link, while the other end of the spring strut is connected with the wheel suspension link by way of an intermediate link which is situated at an acute angle with respect to the spring strut. In the case of this solution, a section of the wheel suspension link therefore forms the rigid base of a support triangle which is formed by the link, the spring strut and the intermediate link and which, in the area of the apex, is supported with respect to the vehicle body by way of an upright strut constructed as a swing support. By means of this arrangement of the spring strut, in which the spring strut is arranged essentially below the wheel suspension link, the spring strut will essentially retain its almost horizontal position during the compression and rebounding of the wheel, specifically while correspondingly changing the length so that acceleration-caused lateral forces onto the spring strut are largely avoided. However, during corresponding suspension movements, the type of linking of the spring strut causes clear deflections of the swing support so that longitudinal forces occur in the vehicle-body-side support of the wheel suspension although the trailing link, the spring strut and the intermediate link form a system which is closed in itself and within which a corresponding support with respect to the forces takes place.
It is an object of the invention to improve a wheel suspension of the type generally described above and to further develop additional applications for that wheel suspension.
These and other objects have been achieved according to the present invention by providing a wheel suspension for a motor vehicle, comprising: a suspension link having a wheel-side end to be connected to a wheel, said suspension link being swivellably disposed on a vehicle body about a swivel axis spaced from said wheel-side end; a spring element swivellably linked to said suspension link at a first linking point which is spaced from said swivel axis and which is spaced from said wheel-side end, said spring element extending from said first linking point generally away from said wheel-side end; an intermediate link swivellably coupled to said spring element at a second linking point which is spaced from said first linking point, said intermediate link being linked to said suspension link at a third linking point which is essentially coaxial with said swivel axis, said spring element and said intermediate link being one above another, said spring element and said intermediate link defining an acute angle; and an essentially upright support supporting said spring element and said intermediate link at said second linking point, said support being coupled to said vehicle body.
These and other objects have also been achieved according to the present invention by providing a suspension link for a wheel suspension for a motor vehicle, comprising: a body section located generally in a plane, said body section including a wheel-side bearing for coupling said suspension link to a wheel, said body section including two body-side bearings for swivellably coupling said suspension link to a vehicle body, said two body-side bearings being spaced from each other and being spaced from said wheel-side bearing, said two body-side bearings being arranged coaxially with each other about a swivel axis, said body section further including an intermediate-link bearing to be coupled to another link of the wheel suspension, said intermediate-link bearing being located between said two body-side bearings and being coaxial with said swivel axis; and an extension arm extending from said body section out of said plane, said extension arm including a bearing for swivellably coupling said suspension link to a spring element.
Since the intermediate link is disposed essentially coaxially with respect to the vehicle-body-side linking of the link on this link, swivel movements of the wheel suspension link remain virtually without any effect on the position of the strut constructed as a swing support and therefore no deformation of the link bearings will occur as the result of the suspension. Furthermore, in the case of the solution according to the invention, the spring element, such as a spring strut, will essentially retain its position so that no acceleration-caused lateral forces will occur. The type of the arrangement of the spring element and the intermediate link also permits a very flat construction which, in particular, is also suitable for transverse link arrangements, in which case the two correspondingly constructed wheel suspensions assigned to an axle of the vehicle, when they are dimensioned correspondingly, will require only one joint strut for the support with respect to the vehicle body. However, the invention also provides multiple possibilities for changing the transmission ratio in that, relative to a vertical plane extending through the vehicle-body-side linking of the wheel suspension link parallel to the driving direction, the linking point of the spring system which is located above on the wheel suspension link is offset to one side or the other, optionally in connection with the fact that, relative to the height of the vehicle-body-side linking point of the wheel suspension link, the height of the linking point of the strut formed by the intermediate link and the strut and therefore also the length of the spring element and/or of the intermediate link are changed correspondingly. As an adaptation to the respective height of the linking point between the spring element and the intermediate link determined in its height by way of the strut, the strut can also be arranged to be pointing upward or downward.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the invention when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.